Registration for popular city race ends after exceeding goal

Monday

Nov 18, 2013 at 11:05 AM

Due to overwhelming response, registration for the city of Hendersonville's first Turkey Trot ended at 5 p.m. today.

By Emily WeaverTimes-News Staff Writer

Due to overwhelming response, registration for the city of Hendersonville's first Turkey Trot ended at 5 p.m. Monday with nearly double the participants organizers first envisioned. The race, coordinated by the city's wellness committee, was initially set to be capped at 200, but 391 participants had signed up as of Monday afternoon.The 5k walk or run is scheduled to start Thanksgiving at 8:30 a.m. at City Hall, 145 Fifth Ave. E. The course is set to loop through downtown and end back at the race's starting line.The Turkey Trot is open to all ages and all fitness levels. It also seems to be a hit among families with out-of-town guests. Participants from several states have signed up for the race.A family of 12 showed up to register Monday, according to committee member Lu Ann Welter.“We had originally limited it to 200 because we weren't sure we'd have enough volunteers,” she said. But as the number of volunteers grew, the number of participants snowballed into what is shaping up to be a well-attended first event. Four prizes will be given before the start of the event to the oldest participant, best costume, farthest traveled and to the family with the most participants. The Turkey Trot is set to be held rain or shine, sleet or snow.